Dadvid Appreciation Week
by EastLatte
Summary: A small collection of one-shots I wrote for Dadvid Appreciation Week. *Maxvid shippers are asked to not interact, please and thank you.*
1. Day 1

**This is the first of a few one-shots for Dadvid Appreciation Week, considering I was only able to do a few.** **The theme for today is '** _ **The Moment David Became Dadvid'**_ **And I wrote about when I felt would be the moment he became the dad we all know and love today. Any constructive criticism is appreciated and please excuse any grammar and/or spelling mistakes. Hope you enjoy!**

The camp was completely empty when Gwen, David, and Max arrived from their trip to the restaurant.

All the campers and their things seemed to have disappeared, but the small sticky note on the door of the mess hall explained what had happened. Niel's handwriting was clear on the front of the sticky note. While on the back they read an almost unreadable 'See you soon' which they both assumed was by Nikki.

Gwen and David both looked at each other with worried expressions.

From what Neil had written, Cameron had been taken by Ered's dads and they all went home with their parents. Both adults were pretty sure that would cause many problems for both of them, yet they decided to think about it later.

"So this is it, huh?" Max spoke startling them, "With Campbell in jail they'll close down the camp." He kicked a small rock near him and his hands balled up in the pocket of his hoodie.

Something about the tone of his voice and posture told David that Max disliked the idea of camp closing down. Despite the fact that he had been trying to escape since camp started.

Max stared at the ground, his body tense. He looked back towards the road where the bus would usually come to drop off the campers as if someone were to appear there.

David sensed that this whole situation was making Max feel uncomfortable, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry Max, I'm sure this will turn out fine. Gwen and I will try our hardest to do so." David assured him, but Max didn't answer and by then David had figured out what was bugging him. He felt how Gwen touched his own shoulder. "David," she whispered and then pointed towards her watch, "It's nearly 10." Her eyes averted towards Max who had turned to face the road.

David knew the last thing he should say was how Max's parents were going to arrive at any moment because if he did he knew even he wouldn't believe it. Remembering the papers he had seen before there was no contact information or addresses. It was as if they had simply left him there with no plan in returning.

Something Max seemed to highly believe.

David took a few seconds to think, before walking towards Max. He placed a hand on his shoulder and crouched down next to him. "Come on Max, let's go get some sleep. Tomorrow we will do what we can and try to work things out as best as possible." David told him.

Max seemed to hesitate but nodded. His sudden silence unnerved both adults. They took him to David's room, and while he tucked him in, Gwen left saying she needed to get something.

Max took a good look around David's room before lying down. David went to tuck him in, but Max quickly murmured that he could do it himself. Once he finished, David wished him a good night.

As he turned around, he heard Max murmur his own goodnight. He smiled to himself and opened the door to his room. There stood Gwen her hand outstretched as if she was about to the door. Her other hand was hidden behind her back, and David raised an eyebrow. She gave him a quick smile and walked past him still hiding whatever it was in her hand.

"I need to talk to him for a few seconds," Gwen spoke, and David nodded walking out of the room and letting her in. He turned to close the door and managed to see how Gwen handed Max, what seemed to be a bear. The scene made him smile and he closed the door and headed back outside.

It was now dark, and David could see all the stars brighten up the sky. He admired it all and heard as Gwen walked out of the cabin and towards him.

"So...what are we going to do?" Gwen asked, looking up at the stars. Her hand fidgeted on her thigh, and she gulped.

David took a deep breath, "I'm not sure...I don't have much say in what happens to the camp or if it will stay open...Although I wish with all my heart that I did, but I think right now the one thing I want to fix is Max's situation."

Gwen seemed to have assumed that he would've said that because she quickly replied. "I thought I had shitty parents, but at least I knew they would come pick me up by now." She had a hand on her hip and looked at David, "Do you have a plan on how to help him?"

"I have an idea." David began, "Assuming his parents don't arrive by midday tomorrow it will be clear they've abandoned him. I plan to report it, and if Max is fine with it, then I will recommend myself as his possible foster parent throughout the case."

Gwen processed his words, and seeing how he had that determined look in his eyes, she knew things had a great possibility of going well.

"And you're willing to do this for him?" Gwen questioned.

"Well, yes. His parents treat him as if he were a punishment and not their son, and no one deserves that. He's just a kid. He understands the world and the people that inhabit it so well that he's forgetting to live it. I want to help him the way Camp Campbell helped me, and if that's the way then I'm willing to do it." David explained.

She nodded and crossed her arms. Her thoughts raced through her mind but there was one thing that clearly stood out.

David would make a great dad.

And if things went the way he wanted he would soon be the father to one of the grumpiest 10-year-old kids on earth. Gwen didn't doubt David would excel at it, despite the obstacles that would be thrown at him. Still, she was sure Max had thrown much more difficult obstacles David's way. After spending nearly every day with Max, both adults knew many of his quirks and ideas. It would help David in his plan, and he wished everything would go alright. In his opinion, many people deserved to be happy. And it was his goal to help people find that happiness.

Currently, it was Max he was helping, and as he stared at the star-filled sky he felt a surge of hope and smiled.

Things were going to be alright. He would make it so.


	2. Day 3

**I was sadly unable to write something for Day 2 yesterday, but here is my one-shot for Day 3. As always constructive criticism is highly appreciated and** **please excuse any grammar and/or spelling mistakes** **. I hope you enjoy!**

Max finished the present by signing his name with the purple sharpie he found on the floor. David stared down at him, smiling as he took it.

"Oh, Gwen is going to love this!" David told him, placing the present onto the table, "Now remember the plan, Max?!"

Max nodded and recited what David had been telling him for the past days, "Yes I do. First, I'm going to make Gwen take me to the store to buy some groceries. I must also make sure to stall for a while, before asking for some food. I will choose a restaurant that is, relatively, far away, and once done there, pretend to need to go to the bathroom and last an hour in there. After that, I should just stall in any possible way, that does not end up involving the police."

David grinned, "You've got it! Now put on your shoes, Gwen will arrive any minute now!" Max did as told and quickly put on his shoes. As he headed back into the living room, he watched as David placed ingredients onto the table and take out birthday decorations. They had agreed that while Max was out with Gwen, David would cook a meal and decorate the apartment so when they got back they could celebrate Gwen's birthday together as the small family they were.

"Alrighty, Max! Gwen is outside, now remem-"

"Don't come back till 5. I got it, David. No need to say it again." Max finished, as he walked towards the door. David smiled, "Exactly! Now! Make sure you both have fun!" He watched as Max got into Gwen's car and even gave her a small wave. As soon as the car was out of sight, David began preparations.

As for Max, the moment he got in the car he felt how tense the air was. Gwen had mumbled a greeting and waved back at David. As soon as she began to drive, it became silent. It was awkward and unnerved Max, who would normally enjoy any silence he got.

"H-how are you?" Max asked, stuttering a bit. He wasn't very good at starting conversations. After years of being the edgy and silent type, it didn't fit him well.

Gwen raised an eyebrow but answered. "I'm fine, and you Max?" Max shrugged and kept looking at Gwen, who kept her eyes on the road. Her finger tapped the wheel continuously and she had a prominent frown that seemed like it wouldn't go away. Max would normally care less, but today was Gwen's day. Even knew he should respect that. Not only that, but he has seen her nearly every day for the past year. Even he could say, maybe when she wasn't around or in his room alone, that Gwen was the closest mother figure he had.

"How's your day been going?" Max said, trying, again, to start up a conversation.

Gwen sighed at his question, "I...It's...decent." Her lack of words and attitude stopped Max from questioning any further. Knowing well that he, himself, might bring out an attitude that would make the situation worse.

The rest of the ride was silent and Max knew he needed to do something to break it. They arrived at the grocery store and Max guided Gwen around, placing the things they needed in the cart. He placed an item in the cart and watched as Gwen picked it up.

"Max, what is this?" she asked. Max looked at the baggie of dinosaur shaped marshmallows. "Oh, that? Those are David's. He loves those damn marshmallows." "Hm." Gwen simply said, surprised. She pushed the cart into the next section of the store. "What's next on our list?" she asked.

Max looked down at the list he had in hand. The last sentence simply said 'Make things up, Buddy!'. Max looked back up at Gwen and then at their surroundings. They had exited from the food section and were now surrounded by cooking utensils.

"David says we need...some knives!" Max quickly said, pointing at the array of knives next to them. Gwen raised an eyebrow and looked down at Max, "You're kidding? You still have loads at home and they still work." Max shrugged, "Yeah I know, but David wants more! Don't be surprised if it turns out he murdered someone!"

"Haha very funny, Max, let me see the list," Gwen told him, reaching down for the paper. Max pulled away, shaking his head.

"No can do, Gwen. It's mine and you can't see it."

She placed a hand on her hips. Max was acting rather childish. Which wasn't usual for the kid.

"Max."

"Sorry, Gwen, but if you want to see the list you have to catch me first!" With that, Max began running away. Gwen reacted slowly, in that she first had to comprehend that he had left.

"Oh no, you don't you little shit! Get back here!" She yelled, pushing the cart, after him. Meanwhile, Max headed for the gardening department. He tried to think of more items to place in the cart. Suddenly, he heard as Gwen yelled his name, but he didn't stop. Max made it to the department, fast and safe, and watched how Gwen turned to corner to reach him.

Her chest rose and fell, quickly, as she took in various breaths. She ran a hand through her hair, before asking Max, "What the hell was that for Max?!"

Max cringed, mentally, at the time of her voice. She sounded angry and annoyed, which was not what he wanted. He had thought that by doing what he did he could've at least made her smile or even laugh, but it seemed to have gotten her in a worse mood.

He looked down and kicked the air, "I thought it would've been fun...you seem so fucking tense and depressed that I decided to try to make you feel better and relax. Now, I know I should just mind my own damn business."

At his words, Gwen's features softened. She sighed, "Max look, I just...it's been a tough morning and all I want to do is be in a bed asleep. No one has called me and, well, why would they. They probably have better things to do than to congrat- I mean talk to me. So, it's just been affecting me, you know. I'm sorry, for lashing out at you."

Max shrugged but noticed how she didn't want to reveal it was her birthday. He felt the need to tell her that he and David had this whole thing planned out for her, but he kept his mouth shut. It was a surprise after all. For now, though, he needed to lighten up the mood.

"It's fine, you never were a morning you just forgot to drink some coffee," Max responded. Gwen rolled her eyes, "I'll let you know that I've been avoiding coffee, Max. Maybe you should too."

"As if I wanted to become an ass, like you, in the morning," He said, with a smile. Gwen pretended to laugh, and responded, "That's because you already are one, Max. Now let's hurry up so we can finish."

Max followed Gwen and noticed how a smile tugged at the end of her lips. He turned around to look at the nearest clock. They had only been there for, about, an hour. He needed to stall more. Max stopped and fell to his knees, just as they arrived at the cashier. He began groaning and wrapped his arms around his stomach.

"Shit! Max, what's wrong?" Gwen asked, crouching down and placing a hand on his back. Max shook his head and groaned more, "My stomach hurts...ugh. I think...I think I need to go to the bathroom fast."

"Here," Gwen said, helping him up, "Go to that bathroom right there. Do what you need to do, and I'll finish paying the groceries."

Max did as told and entered the bathroom. He entered one of the few stalls there and sat down. He had managed to convince her he needed to go. All he had to do was stay there for a while.

Max realized he had, in fact, changed the order of the plan, but he knew it was better like this. As he sat, he thought of a restaurant that was far away to choose from. Minutes passed and men entered the bathroom and left, ignoring the fact that he was there. After a while, he began getting impatient but didn't get out. Max groaned and hid his face behind his hands. Out of boredom, he began counting the tiles on the ceiling and got to 127, before getting interrupted.

"Max?" Gwen called, "Are you done?! You've been in there for half an hour! Do I need to call David or the hospital?" Max scrambled off the seat and out of the stall, "Gwen, what the hell are you doing in the guy's bathroom!?" She crossed her arms, "You were taking too long! I was starting to worry."

"Oh really? Wow, Gwen, that...that was kind of you...to worry that is." He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Well, there's a first time for everything." She responded, and then guided him out of the bathroom. Of course, after he washed his hands. With that, they headed back to Gwen's car, and he noticed how she seemed much calmer.

"You know what?" Max began, catching her attention, as she got in the car.

"Hmm?"

"I'm hungry." He finished. Gwen laughed, "You read my mind, Max. But I promised David I would have you back once finished." "I know. Which is why I told him in advance." Max pulled out a small baggie with money. On the baggie written in black sharpie were the words, 'Only use if hungry.' "You're kidding me." Gwen laughed, "Does David manage your money?" Max frowned, "Yeah, ever since I bought 5 marshmallow guns on eBay he decided he would take care of my money." Gwen snorted, as she pulled out of the parking lot. She held up her hand in a fist bump directed towards Max. He returned the bump and listened to what she continued to say, "You know, we can invite Nikki and Neil over one day and have a marshmallow fight."

Max, quickly, turned to look at her, "Really?!". "Of course!" Gwen responded, "Just imagine David's face when the apartment is covered in marshmallows. He'll be furious but he'll forget about it once we give him the last gun." "Glad we're on the same page." Max smiled. "Well, when you're dealing with David, it's good to have a partner in crime. Or partners in your case. Now, tell me, where would you like to eat?"

Max thought about it. Restaurants and Fast Food places ran through his mind, but all of them were, too, close. Yet, he continued to think and soon he got it.

"How about that new Thai restaurant in the mall?" Max asked. Gwen frowned, "I don't know, Max, it seems a bit far away." Max shrugged,"I'm sure David won't mind! C'mon Gwen it's your b- I mean - it's our day, without him. Let's enjoy it!" Gwen sighed, but smiled, "Alright, let's do it."

Gwen began driving in the direction of the mall. She even turned on the radio, and Max knew she was beginning to cheer up. Once they arrived at the mall, they got out and raced to the small restaurant. Gwen won and received a playful punch to her side from Max.

"That hurt you little shit." She told him as they took a seat. "Yes, because my small pubescent arms are made of steel." He said as he rolled his eyes. They ordered their food and began to create a conversation about a Spanish tv show they began to watch together.

"I'm telling you, Alexandra is going to end up pregnant," Gwen told him.

"But the doctor told her she couldn't have any more children after her accident with the train."

"Max, you've haven't seen these novellas man. Everything that is impossible happens. It crazy, but oddly entertaining."

"Yeah whatever, she might get pregnant but then that would ruin her Aunt's plans for the ranch."

Gwen clapped and threw finger guns at him, "Bingo. If she ruins her Aunt's plans Carlos gets to live, and you like Carlos."

"True, but James is going to stop her Aunt isn't he? And he'll do that by - oh my god - she's going to get pregnant." Max groaned, sliding down the chair. Gwen laughed, "I'm telling you after awhile you get the hang of these shows and you can tell what will happen in many of them." "I thought James would've like you know, burned up the town or something!" Max complained. Gwen shook her head, smiling. She was going to respond to his statement before her phone rang. Max watched as her eyebrows furrowed together and her frown came back.

"Hold on a bit please." She told him and answered the phone, "Hey?...Oh, hi,mom...yeah...mhmm..wait? Is that why you called me?" Her voice filled with anger, but she took a deep breath. "No, it's fine...Of course, there's no other reason you should call me...I mean it's not like today I came out of -" Yet she didn't finish because she took in a deep breath. Her eyebrow twitched and her finger tapped on the table. "Yeah, it's nothing, mom...Just forget it..I'll send the information over...yeah...yeah I...I love you too…mhm...bye." Gwen hung up and hid her face behind her hands.

She took a deep breath and looked up at Max. "I'm going to go pay and then to the bathroom. Stay here...I'll be quick." Gwen stood up and hurried over to the cashier before running to the bathroom.

As soon as she was out of sight, he reached for the leftover money in his bag and ran to the shop beside the restaurant. He bought what he needed to buy and arrived in time for Gwen to be out of the bathroom. Her eyes were, slightly, puffy and red, but you wouldn't be able to notice it at first glance.

"Well, kiddo, let's go," she said, making sure they didn't leave anything behind.

Max followed her back out to the car and they sat there for a few seconds as Gwen stared numbly at her phone. She placed it down next to her and that's when Max handed her what he bought.

"Here you go. I think you need it." He said looking looked at what he had placed on her lap.

It was an entire ice cream tub of her favorite flavor. On the lid, a post-it note with Max's handwriting read,'Happy Birthday.' Gwen's eyes widened in surprise, and she looked over at Max.

"How'd you know?"

"Well, when you have someone, like David, to reminded you every single detail, you kind of can't forget." Max told her, "Besides...you're like...the closest thing I have to a mom who cares about it me...and I also know what it's like to have a shitty family…plus you've done a lot so the least I could do is repay you."

Gwen smiled and looked back down at her ice cream. "Good thing I carry spoons around in my car." She said and pulled a bag of spoons from the compartment of the car. She handed one to Max and opened the container. He raised an eyebrow and pointed at the ice cream.

"C'mon do you really think I could eat all this ice cream?" Gwen asked. "Knowing you, yes." Max nodded. Gwen punched him playfully, but he simply grinned.

So, there they sat in the car for an hour, eating the ice cream till nothing was left. They stayed for another 30 minutes as they let it sink in. By that time, Max was sure David was done. Gwen drove him back home and together carried the groceries to the door. Max knocked and they both heard as David walked towards the door. David opened the door and let them both in.

Max entered and heard how Gwen gasped behind him.

David had decorated the wall to spell out, 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY GWEN!' and had placed the dining table in the middle of the living room. On the table was a decent sized cake, and surrounding it various snacks. The air smelled delicious and they all knew it was David's cooking.

Gwen turned to look at David and Max, having pieced the puzzle together.

"You little fuckers set me up didn't you!? You made Max stall, and everything, while we were out for this?!" she said, trying to contain her smile. David grinned, "Happy Birthday Gwen!" And hugged her ignoring her question. She laughed and hugged him back, tightly, as tears streamed down her face. She only pulled back to drag Max into the hug. "Don't think you're getting out of this." Max, reluctantly, hugged back, but he meant it when he did.

"You know I love you guys right?" Gwen said in between tears. They both nodded, and David rubbed her back. "There now! Why don't we wipe away those tears and have some cakes! I made some lasagna and rented various movies to watch!" David told them, pulling away from the hug.

"Hell yeah," Gwen responded as she wiped her face with a tissue, that David had handed her. She followed them and plopped down on the couch. Max beside her as David began cutting the cake.

"You know…" Gwen started, getting their attention. "Life sucks sometimes...but at least I have you guys."


	3. Day 4

**Heres my one-shot for Day 4 - Teenage Dadvid. Which is such a precious AU, so I hope you enjoy!**

"Alright, guys! Today is going to be so much fun because today we are going on the hiking trip we planned, a while ago! Now, I just passed out a few papers with the map as to where we will be hiking! Any questions?!" David quickly said. His hands moving around excitedly as he spoke.

The members of his club simply stared at him, until one person did raise their hand. He pointed at them, "Yes, Alice?"

"Why do you have a baby on your chest?" she asked, pointing at the small child strapped to his chest.

David looked down and then smiled, "This little child is Max. He will be my son in, hopefully, a few weeks. If that does happen, he'll be joining us from now on in our club meetings."

"Wait! David, you fucked someone up?!" a sophomore in his class questioned, ignoring some crucial words in David's sentence.

David felt his cheeks heat up and began to protest to what the boy had said but then somebody else spoke.

"Maybe it was that girl he always hangs out with after club! What was it, Gladys? No... Gertrude? I know it's something with a G!"

David then knew he was definitely red. Again he protested, "Nononono it's none of that and Gwen is just my friend!" He cleared his throat and continued explaining, "I found Max abandoned and alone. So, I took him in and well through hard work I was able to qualify to adopt him, but the final decision will be made in a few weeks."

"But you're still in high school? And underage?" someone questioned.

"I am, but like said I qualified! I'll be turning 18 in 2 years and I've shown proof that I have a stable income and good fathering skills." He explained, despite the awkwardness he felt.

His club seemed to silently agree with his words and with that each one began to stand up to get ready for the hike.

Meanwhile, he too got ready, putting things in his backpack before adjusting Max's bandana. David had dressed him up to match his outfit. So, they both wore beige shorts with a green shirt and a bandana wrapped around their necks. The only small difference was the length of the sleeves on their shirts. Max's were longer to prevent from any bug bites on his arms and instead of shoes, he had socks.

Currently, Max sucked on his thumb and looked around the room with disinterest. He was a rather calm child but seemed to have some mischief to him. David believed it had to do with whenever he would leave Max with Gwen.

David put on his backpack at last and ushered the club members out of the school and onto the bus.

He sat in the front like the responsible club leader he was, and even let some of the girls hold Max. Of course, he supervised them seeing as how the bus had no seatbelts. Many girls of the club held Max and talked to him, cooing and playing with him.

Max let them, occasionally smiling and giggling, but after a while, the baby began to get fussy. Max's natural frown came back and he began to whine and whimper. At this point David took him back and after making sure it wasn't just Max being fussy he put him back onto his baby chest carrier and let him look out the window.

Thankfully the ride ended soon, and soon they were all outside standing at the beginning of the trail.

"Well, gang please check to make sure you have your map, trail mix, and water. There are 3 different paths we can take. If you want to take path number one, please come stand by me, for path number two, stand next to Marian, and for path number three go to Sam."

The teens did as instructed and while they did so, David adjusted Max on his chest. He made sure he was comfortable, and once done, began reading them the second part of the instructions.

"Now please follow the trail and don't stray from the path. We have exactly 2 hours and once those hours are over we must all meet by the bus. Don't litter, and be safe." David quickly said.

His club members nodded and began to part ways. He smiled at his own group and began walking through the first path. His group, slowly, began to admire the nature around them and had discussions with one another leaving David alone with Max.

Yet David didn't mind, with each step they took he would point at trees, flowers, and animals they would pass, naming them off to Max. Max seemed to pay attention, having turned to look at whatever it was David pointed.

"See this flower, Max?" David question, crouching down carefully. He pointed at a small flower with white petals and a yellow center, "This is a daisy, they're simple yet pretty flowers to give to others." Max simply let out a small gurgle, and David stood back up again, continuing with the trail.

They stopped to take a break where the trees gathered together to make a nice shade to sit under. While they sat, they also ate some of their snacks and drank their water. David fed Max his bottle, who happily took it. After burping him, David stood Max up, grabbing him while Max tried to take steps forward. He played like that with him for a few more minutes before getting back to hiking. This time he carried him around in his arms so he could show Max plants close up.

David was happy that he could share something he loved doing with Max, despite his very young age. Yet David can't remember a time when his own parents didn't take him outside to enjoy the beauty of nature, even when he was still growing. Whenever Max would gurgle or laugh at something David could feel his heart melt. Towards the end of the hike, Max's eyes began to get droopy. He yawned and closed his eyes leaning onto David to be more comfortable. Seeing how Max's chest rose and fell softly David had made the conclusion that he had fallen asleep. David was happy, though, that he had managed to take some pictures before Max had gone to sleep.

Layla, one of the freshmen in his club, walked beside him and smiled.

"I remember when my sister had her daughter when she was in high school." She began to tell him, "But she got pregnant...how is it that you came to get Max?" She asked, and soon the other club members too became interested in the answer to the question.

David thought back to the eventful day, "Well it was about 3 weeks ago after our meeting on Wednesday. Gwen, Jasper and I were heading to my house when we heard a cry in a neighborhood trash pile." David's mouth formed a thin line as he remembered the circumstances they found him in.

Max had been lying in a box, covered with a thin blanket and surrounded by trash. He was thin, bruised, and in a terrible condition. "We found him in an old box in a such a bad condition. I took him to my house, while Jasper and Gwen went to buy a few things at the store for him. I talked to my mother and decided to report it. At the police station I had to report what I saw, and after a long meeting I thought it would be best if I became his legal guardian since his parents were nowhere to be found."

David remembered his mother's words clearly. She had come into his room with sad eyes as she looked at Max in his arms. "David, honey," He recalled her stopping mid-sentence as if thinking of how to explain. "I received a call from the lawyer...Max's parents aren't anywhere to be found." She told him. Although David upon hearing the news had felt pity and anger crawl up in his stomach for Max's he felt hope in that he would have been able to keep and raise Max.

Now here he was awaiting the final decision on whether he could be Max's father in a few weeks. Layla's voice brought him back from his deep thinking.

"Well...I think you would make a great dad, David...considering how much you already take care of Max, I'm sure you'll get his full custody. You seem a lot like my sister when Maisie was born. At first, she was wary but after a few days she fell in love with her." she told him.

He smiled and looked down at the sleeping Max in his arms. David never knew he would've become a father at such a young age, but here he was. It actually brought him more light to his life and like his mother told him, he felt privileged to have been given this opportunity. Still, he would graduate high school and if possible go to college. It had always been one of his goals, and instead of Max being a reason of why not to go, it was the exact opposite.

If he gets custody over him, David will go to college to be able to give Max the life his parents didn't want to give him. Max will be another reason, and an important one, as to why he should do what others believe he can't.

Beside him, Zac, one of the few guys in the club, laughed. "You have that look on your face that you always get when you're determined."

The rest of the group nodded and David grinned,"I do feel very determined right now."

He looked up ahead and noticed they had reached the end of the hike. They made their way back to the bus and David deemed the trip successful. Everyone seemed to be in a good spirit, which was why he created the Nature Club in the first place.

As he got on Max was still fast asleep. David sat and couldn't help but feel giddy as he thought of all the pictures he would shower Gwen and Jasper with.

Softly, he patted Max's head and kissed his forehead. During the ride, he continued to talk to the other students and Layla pointed out one more thing.

"I like to believe that, just like my sister, you will do many things for Max. Be a better parent than his real ones would've been, and show him the good side of life just like the bad. Take him out to see nature and enjoy it just like you did with us today. Truly, just give him a good life."

David smiled at her and thought back to the trip. It was true that it had been much fun and he knew he would definitely do it again. Not only for the club but for Max.

After all, just like Layla had said, David would do anything just to have more moments like this with Max and be the best parent he can be to him.


	4. Day 5

**Here's Day 5 - Parenting Isn't Always Easy! I went for the more angsty choice because I am trash for angst. So, I hope you enjoy!**

It wasn't rare for Max to object many of David's ideas. So this was nothing new.

David stared down at the 11-year-old, who stared back at him with his arms crossed. His vibrant green eyes glared daggers at him, as soon, as he finished the sentence. Max shook his head, furiously, "No, you can't come to parents day tomorrow!"

"But why not?" David questioned as he followed Max to his room. "Why?! David, you're not my fucking dad! Why else?!" He yelled back.

David felt the line hit him, and he had to try so hard not to flinch. He was about to reply, when Max held up his hand, "No, David, just stop, Okay? I know you pity me and all. So the last thing I want is for you to come to school and pretend you're my dad! It'll only make my life more of a living hell then it already is!"

Max began to push David out of the room and into the hallway. He instantly slammed the door once he did so and wiped away at the tears threatening to fall down his cheeks.

It had not been Max's day that day, and it made his mood fall down, immensely. School had been a mess, filled with questions by other students if his parents were going to go to school the next day. Max had not answered any of their questions only throwing glares at them. Still, his silence said enough to his fellow students. He had heard their faint whispers behind him and seen the look of pity on all of their faces as he walked passed them in the hallway. It reminded him of the past schools he had been at. Where the kids, clearly, knew the situation Max was living with his birth parents. It reminded him of the years he lived in literal hell both at home and school. It all made him forget the drastic change that had occurred this past year. Of course, that gave him no right to yell at David the way that he did, but when mad he was rather impulsive.

Max kicked one of the crayons on his floor and let a few more tears fall, before sliding down the door and onto the floor. Behind him, he heard David's defeated sigh and fading footsteps. Max stared ahead of him and his eyes landed on the photo he kept on his bedside table.

It had been a recent one and it included both Max and David at the park. From what he could remember, Gwen had taken the picture and had printed it out and given a copy to both of them. With a sigh he stood up and went to lay on his bed, holding onto as he fell asleep.

On the other side of the door, the moment Max had slammed it shut, David couldn't contain his flinch. He held his hand up to knock but paused, knowing Max and his temper it was best that he left him alone. He let out a shaky breath and turned around to cook dinner.

It had been nearly a year since David had taken Max in and became his foster parent. Currently, he was working to become his adoptive father and was keeping it a secret from him. The only other person who knew was Gwen, knowing she would keep quiet. Yet it was times like this that made him second guess his decision. Max made it seem as if he were miserable with David and that was the last thing David wanted. After all, he raised the report on his parents for the misery they were putting Max through.

David didn't realize he was crying until his own tear hit his hand. It was warm and startled him. He quickly wiped it away, not being able to help but let out a few more. He held a hand over his mouth to prevent a sob and placed a hand on the counter to keep him standing. Slowly and painfully he began to let himself cry. David closed his eyes and questioned everything he was doing.

Did Max really see him that way? Was David making it seem like he was doing everything out of pity? Was he being just as terrible of a parent as Max's birth parents?

Each question raised more and caused more tears on his side. He knew being a father was hard, even more to such an angry 11-year-old. Still, he couldn't help but take Max's words to heart. He wanted to better for Max, to be there and care for him the way his birth parents didn't want to.

Yet at the moment, it just seemed like he was doing everything wrong. Max was unhappy and anything he tried to do didn't make things better.

"Maybe…Max is better off with another foster parent." David whispered to himself. He wiped away at any tears still present and looked at the clock. It was almost dinner time and he needed to began to cook. In his mind, he decided he would think about everything later, and so he turned it all off. As David cooked, the smell wafted throughout his apartment, and eventually into Max's room.

Max was asleep and gripped tightly as if he were going to get up and leave. The smell got to Max and woke him up. Slowly, he stretched and got out of bed. Memories of what had happened earlier returned to him and he felt some guilt arise in him.

As soon as Max opened the door, the scent got stronger and his stomach grumbled. He walked, slowly, towards the kitchen where he found David. Like usual he hummed along to a tune, but his movements were forced and the tune was slow and sad.

Max saw as David noticed his presence and turned around to greet him.

"Oh, Max! Sorry, I didn't see you there, how are you feeling, bud?" David asked him, smiling.

Max shrugged and looked away. He noticed how David's eyes were red and puffy and his cheeks were dried with tears. Yet, he said nothing and took his place on the stool near their small dining table. There was an uncomfortable silence as David served their meals and sat down. Max grabbed the fork and slowly picked at the food for a few seconds, before eating it. David would usually start up a conversation but he stayed quiet this time, focusing on his food instead. Max took a deep sigh and then looked up at David and spoke.

"I'm sorry."

The apology startled David, making him look up with an expression of surprise. "Excuse me?" he asked.

Max felt his cheeks heat up and he looked away. "I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier." Max gulped and continued, "The kids at school gave me hell, and I took it all out on you."

David was speechless. Rarely had Max apologized, but here he was. David placed his utensils down and cleared his throat.

"Apology accepted, Max, thank you." He told him. David thought for a few seconds before asking, "Were the kids at school treating you differently...because of me?"

Max moved around the peas on his plate. "Sort of, they just talk behind my back as if I was fucking deaf or something. They think my parents abandoned me, and maybe they did, but-ugh- it's fucking stupid as hell," he said this time angrily poking the peas as if doing so would solve his problems.

David's mouth formed a thin line, "Hey, language…" Max rolled his eyes, but David continued.

"Max, those kids, they know nothing about you or your life. Which means they have no right to talk about you behind your back. Your parents didn't abandon you. They were never parents, to begin with, so don't feel bad for what they couldn't and didn't want to do. You have no fault in this, which is why you are no longer with them. Because you deserved better, and I hope I'm at least better than they were."

Max looked up at David. He was silent for a few seconds before he spoke. "You are. You're much better than them, and I'm really happy about that, despite my fucking attitude telling you otherwise."

David smiled and stood up to take the plates to the sink. Max sat there, flustered. That was an enormous amount of emotions and feelings he let out for him. It would also probably be the last for a while. Still, David appreciated it, and happily dried his hands with a piece of cloth. He turned around to face Max but noticed he was no longer in his chair.

Suddenly, he felt two arms wrap around his legs. Max hugged him tightly and longer than before. David smiled and quickly crouched down and hugged him.

He knew that even if they did have an argument things would get better. As Max pulled away and left murmuring about how he had to do his homework, David made his decision.

He would turn in the adoption papers tomorrow.


	5. Day 7

**The last one-shot for the final day of Dadvid week! It has been such a fun week and I'm glad I was able to participate most days! I can't wait till this week comes around again, I hope you all enjoyed my writings as well as the creations of those who participated! Day 7's theme is Whatever you want! So I wrote about the marshmallow fight they had that is mentioned in my one-shot for Day 3! Hope you enjoy! :)**

"Okay, Neil. You're in charge of handing me marshmallows once I run out, and vice versa. I managed to get three extra bags from the kitchen so we have the upper hand." Max told Neil, as he filled up the shooter with marshmallows.

Currently, they sat behind the couch in the living room. Gwen and Nikki were hidden somewhere else around the house, with their own marshmallow shooters. Max had bought them a while ago on the internet and put them to use with Gwen's approval. David was out running errands and they had planned to surprise him once he got home. But not after they had a small marshmallow fight between themselves.

Neil grabbed tightly onto his own shooter, "Max, I thought we were going to play a video game not actually fight each other with marshmallows." But Max simply rolled his eyes, "C'mon Neil loosen up. It's going to be fun I promise. Even more when we beat those bastards!" Max said as he peeked over the couch. It was quiet and dark. Neil sighed in defeat, knowing there was no way out.

"Okay, follow me," Max whispered, and slowly walked out from behind the couch, Neil right behind him. They had taped the bags of marshmallows on their waist and began walking down the small hallway. Max stopped which caused Neil to bump into him. "Hey-" But Max shushed him. He placed his ear against the wooden door and then motioned for Neil to stand behind him.

"We're going to walk through the door, and I need to you to have my back," Max told him, and Neil nodded. He held the shooter tightly to his chest as Max slowly opened the door. Both boys walked in slowly, looking around them. The room was Max's and was fairly empty. There was a closet to their right and the bed was pushed against the wall and didn't have free space under it for someone to hide. The only other place for them to hide was behind Max's bureau and currently, it was pushed back against the wall. His eyes then landed on his closet. He threw Neil a look, telling him to have his back, and Neil nodded, understanding. Max headed over to the closet door and quickly threw it open. Yet, no one was there. Max relaxed and lowered his arms.

"Looks, like they aren't here, Let's go to the next room, Neil," Max said, scouting the room for the last time. Max shrugged and turned around only to be surprised. "Max watch out!" He heard Neil yell and felt how someone jumped on him.

"Haha! I got you!" Nikki yelled, standing up. She placed her foot on Max's chest and pointed her marshmallow gun at his head. Max scowled and noticed how Gwen stood at the door frame, her own shooter pointed at Neil. Max groaned, "Neil, I told you to have my back!" Neil shook his head, "I'm a man of science, Max. Not war." Yet Max noticed Neil had his hand in his pocket. Suddenly Neil moved quickly bringing his hand up and throwing something at Gwen. A powder of some sort that caused her to react and curse.

"Neil! You shit! What the hell?!" Gwen cursed dropping the marshmallow gun. The action distracted Nikki as she turned to look at her partner, and Max used it to his advantage pushing her off and grabbing his own shooter that was a few feet away from him. Max ran for the door and grabbed Neil by his shirt. He pushed Gwen out of the way as she tried to clear her eyes from the powder.

"Oh no, you don't! Nikki, go!" Gwen yelled and Nikki listened, running after the other two boys. Gwen followed quickly and ended up in the living room. There everyone began shooting marshmallows at each other. They laughed and cursed at each other. War had begun, but it wasn't so serious with the marshmallows sticking to them. Soon everything and everyone was covered in marshmallows. They stuck to their clothing and hair. One look at each other and they all burst out laughing.

It was in the midst of their laughing that the door of the living room opened and there stood a surprised David. His green eyes were wide and he seemed to tense up. His gaze roamed over the living room and then on them. "What is this?" David questioned quickly, not sure what else to say. Max looked over at Gwen, who cleared her throat and took a step towards David.

"Okay, so I know this might look bad-"

"The apartment, Gwen! It's covered in marshmallows!" He interrupted still a bit in shock. Normally, he would accept anything Gwen and Max would do. He usually found them reading, gaming, or doing any other normal hobby, but this...this was new. Gwen looked at the other three. Each of them had a mischievous look in their eye and Gwen instantly knew what they needed to do. She nodded at them and then looked back at David.

"I know, which is why I have only one explanation-"

"Which is?"

Gwen smirked, and shouted, "Now!" In sync, all four of them aimed at David and began shooting. He shrieked and tried to dodge them, but wasn't doing so well. They followed him around as he begged them to stop, occasionally laughing and finally bursting out in laughter on the couch. "I can't take you all seriously with the marshmallows." He said in between laughs. Gwen and the kids laughed too, and Max quickly left and came back. In his hands, he had the fifth and final marshmallow shooter. Max handed it over to David, who stopped laughing to look at it.

"I remember…" David said," You bought these on eBay. I never thought you would use them."

Max smiled and looked over at Gwen, "Well, Gwen and I made some plans a while ago after I let her know about the shooters. We decided to surprise you, so here's yours." David took it from Max's hands and smiled. There was a small glint in David's eye before he quickly began shooting at them like they had done to him earlier. The others cursed at him each saying their own thing like, "You fucker!", "You sick bastard!", "Holy shit!", and "Nooo David!"

But they all quickly began shooting back, and once again they were running around the living room. Laughter filled the room and they all laid sprawled on the floor once there were no more marshmallows.

"That was awesome!" Nikki yelled, stuffing a few marshmallows she had saved in her mouth. "Yeah, it wasn't as bad as I expected." Neil agreed.

David smiled and sat up, "It was indeed fun, but I think you should all go get cleaned up, and then we can order takeout and eat ice cream." Gwen and the kids cheered at his words and went to change. Yet, Max stayed behind. He looked up at David, who raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong, Max?"

"No...I'm really good...actually. I just...thanks for joining us...It was fun." Max said almost in a whisper. Still, David heard it and smiled, "Well, if that's true, then we can do it again soon."

"Really?!"

David nodded,"Of course!" He ruffled Max's hair, and then felt how Max quickly hugged him, and whispered, "Thanks, Dad." Before David could respond, Max ran to his room to clean himself up.

Still, David couldn't contain the smile that threatened to show, and quietly responded with, "No problem, son."


End file.
